WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR: A DIRECTOR'S THOUGHTS ON AUDITION SEASON, PART ONE by Craig Joseph
It’s that time of year when auditions are happening. Like many of you, I’m auditioning for shows. And like some of you, I’m also watching submissions and casting shows. So I thought it might be fun to share thoughts from both sides of the table - as a reminder to myself, as insight for those who are preparing to audition or making decisions, and perhaps even as a bit of helpful encouragement or butt-kicking. So, without further ado, some thoughts today for actors; the next installment will be for (casting) directors.
I want you to do well when you audition. Seriously, I’m not here to make you uncomfortable, rejoice in your nervousness, relish an awkward interaction. I genuinely want to see you bring out your best work. So do what you can to prep well and then relax. I want you to succeed; when I see your best work, I’m able to get excited about how the pages of the play are going to jump to fuller life onstage with good actors in the roles.
Competence, Character, Chemistry. That being said, it’s even more important to me that you not only are a competent actor, but that you also are someone I can trust as a collaborator and that you can play well with others. These are harder to ascertain in an hour-long audition, but it’s possible to watch for clues and hints. And I will always cast a decent actor who’s a wonderful person over a brilliant actor who’s going to be unpleasant to work with.
You are always auditioning. It might be hard to hear, but everything you do in this town follows you around, and everyone talks to each other. If I have questions about competence, character, or chemistry, I start making phone calls and sending e-mails to gather input. And since talent is not the only rubric, your behavior outside the audition room matters. When you’re talking poorly of someone or of another theatre company in public. When you’re late to previous rehearsals. When you don’t read instructions and follow submission guidelines, and assume the specs don’t apply to you. But also when you make a glorious meal out of a small non-speaking role. When you’re a great team player. When you jump in and volunteer in the midst of a crisis. When you’re nice to the audition proctor or accompanist. It all matters.
Don’t oversell. Name-dropping, listing all your accomplishments when your resumé is sitting right in front of me, telling me how much you love my work (that you sometimes haven’t seen): none of these things help and - if they feel cloying or desperate and too aggressive - they might actually hurt your chances. Just come in, be kind and pleasant, do good work, and then let the chips fall where they may.
Have fun. The atmosphere I’m always going to try to create in an audition room is the same type of environment I want for rehearsals - fun, joyful, creatively rich. So come and make bold choices and do something that you think is interesting and weird. I’m not looking for or expecting an opening night, performance-ready, perfect rendering of a character or role. I’m looking for someone who is going to intelligently, diligently, and playfully experiment with me and others over the next few weeks to arrive at something wonderful and beautiful. And in the words of Michael Chekhov: “there is no art without joy!”
Resist the urge to read tea leaves. We all do it, but try not to “read the signs,” because honestly, they usually mean nothing. I send you home after hearing you read only two scenes, while others have read for four scenes. It could mean that you’re not getting the part. BUT - because I’m an actor who hates having my time wasted - it might mean that I’ve seen that you can do the part splendidly and I don’t want to keep you around longer than I have to. And it MIGHT even mean “Boom! You nailed it!”; I’ve made my decision and I’m moving on. The rhyme or reason of why I’m doing what I’m doing is different every time, so don’t burn up time and energy better spent on something else trying to figure it out.
It’s not personal. Making decisions, casting some people and not others, is hard. It’s part of the job and I know what I signed up for, but it still stinks to disappoint people, especially when there are many good options and some of them are friends. It’s never personal.
Now, what are you waiting for? Get those headshots and resumés sent to submissions@seatofthepants.org!
